1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to airplane passenger loading ramps and, more particularly, to fire prevention devices incorporated in airplane loading ramps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of modern day aircraft incorporating numerous different models having a variety of contours and shapes, it has been found desirable to utilize covered passenger loading ramps extending from the airplane terminal and incorporating on the free extremity thereof, a weather protective mating device frequently in the form of an accordion style seal. To protect the safety of passengers being loaded and unloaded from such airplanes, it is desirable that the walkway be sealed against the contour of the aircraft by a fire protective means which would, for some specified period of time after break out of a fire, protect the interior of such walkway from the fire located beneath or around such walkway. Typically, the weather protective mating devices themselves have incorporated fire protective curtains, canopies, floors, or shrouds which are intended to mate with the contour of the aircraft to provide a fire resistant seal. While such an arrangement may provide adequate protection when the sealing device is relatively new and unworn, after numerous operations in loading and unloading airplanes, the weather protective mating device may become worn or partially inoperative and may not form a secure seal with the contour of the aircraft. Consequently, at the very time when fire protection is needed to prevent injury and even death to passengers trapped on board an airplane at its loading ramp, the weather protective seal may be inoperative to provide the necessary protection to the passengers.
Many of the loading ramps now in use incorporate a cab on the free end thereof which may have a portion of the floor cut away for accommodating relative vertical movement of the airplane's forward entry door with respect to the floor of the cab to thus prevent damage to the forward entry door. In prior art walkway devices, such cutaways are not covered and provide a dangerous opening for entry of flames and fire from a fuel spill below the walkway thus exposing the passengers to severe danger of injury and death.